Life-preserving mattress



(NoModeL) Y B. PALMER. Life-Presrving Mattress.

Patnted June 8, I880.

N. PETERS. PHOTO LITHOGRAPNE UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

BENJAMIN PALMER, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

Ll FE-PRESERVING MATTRESS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 228,671, dated June 8, 1880.

Application filed April 9, 18 80. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, BENJAMIN PALMER, of Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in a Life-Preserving Mattress, of which I hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description, which will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the invention, reference being bad to the accompanying drawings, and to letters of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

Figure l is a top view of the mattress; Fig. 2, an inverted view of the same; and Fig. 3 shows the mattress folded longitudinally.

The object of this invention is to provide a mattress that may be put to all the uses of the ordinary mattress, and is so constructed and arranged that when necessary it is adapted to be used as a life-preserving float in case of accidents on the water.

The nature of this invention consists in the construction of a mattress of non-absorbent material, and which at the same time will possess qualities of great buoyancy.

In referring to the drawings, A represents the mattress, made in two parts or sections longitudinally in a vertical plane, the two parts being connected or joined together by means of a series of elastic strips or bands, B, running transversely, and placed upon the under side of the mattress, as shown in Fig.2 of the drawings. When the mattress is floating in the water these elastic bands admit of the sections of the mattress being forced apart, and the lower limbs of the person or persons occupying the mattress rest between the sections while the occupant is in a seated position. i

The loops or straps to are attached to the top of the mattress, and may be used as a 40 hand-grasp when the mattress is folded over upon itself, as shown in Fig. 3 of the drawings, but are more especially intended as one of the life-saving features of the invention. The loops a should be of elastic material, so that they can be easily and conveniently passed over the head and shoulders of persons floating in the water, thus supporting the head and shoulders out of it while the body is in the water.

Attached to the mattressis the light paddle or oar O, which may be employed as a means of propelling the mattress through the water when the same is being used as a life-preserver.

The filling of the mattress is composed of material made non-absorbent and the capillary attraction destroyed by means of a certain process, and is arranged in a series of layers, and provided with an outside covering of suitable material, and should the outside covering be rent or cut in any manner it in nowise at"- fects the buoyant qualities of the mattress as a life-preserver.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

In a combined mattress and lifepreserver of the nature and construction hereinbei'ore described, the combination, with the mattress A, formed in two parts, of the series of elastic bands B, substantially as and for the purpose herein set forth.

BENJAMIN PALMER.

Witnesses:

L. B. OoUPLA D, W. A. SoHoNFELD. 

